If I Stay {Fillie}

World of Exposure

The inside of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre was completely empty at eight in the morning.

The outside, however, was crowded with more people than Millie had ever seen in her life, more even than were at the Calpurnia concert. They were all pushing and shoving one another, trying to get as close to security as possible before the gates opened to allow people inside.

Men in uniforms guided Millie and her companions around the enormous crowd, shielding them with their large bodies in order to conceal them from view, but it was obvious who they were guarding. Several people called out as they passed.

"Finn Wolfhard! I'm in love with you!" a blond girl who couldn't possibly be any older than twelve years old shrieked.

Finn caught Millie's eye and made a goofy expression, spinning his finger around his temple as if to say, She's fucking insane. Millie giggled, and Finn grinned and looked away. She took that tiny gesture to heart, pleased it had even happened at all.

He hadn't really spoken to her much since last night. But that was understandable, even if it hurt. Their little game of truth or dare had become something new entirely, and neither of them, it seemed, had known what to do in that moment.

So Finn had told her goodnight and left. Just like that.

She had stayed in the lobby a long time after that. Simply thinking. Thinking about her emotions, and the way Finn made her feel. He made her feel like everything and nothing mattered at the same time.

Millie had returned to her room at one in the morning to find Maddie and Lilia sound asleep with identical scowls etched on their faces. They had not made up. So Millie settled in the bed on the other half of the room, on the opposite side of the sliding doors, falling asleep with Finn on her mind.

Five hours of sleep later, it was time to wake up and get ready.

And then, after a quick breakfast at iHop at around seven, where Lilia had informed everyone thoroughly of Jacob's plans, here they were at the convention center, skirting the crowds like birds shying away from oncoming cars.

Millie felt a bit like a famous movie star that was avoiding the paparazzi, but the entire situation was also extremely overwhelming. To her surprise, there was a rather large handful of people shouting her name as well as Finn's.

"Millie Bobby Brown!

"Millie Bobby Brown, I love you!"

"Millie, are you going to sing today?!"

Finn's fans quickly drowned out Millie's fans' voices, but she didn't mind too much. Being famous wasn't exactly something she was eager to experience.

She continued to listen to the crowd. Although most people were calling out in support of Finn, multiple were yelling insults at him.

One middle-aged man who was standing at the edge of the crowd looked particularly enraged. "Go back to prison, Wolfhard!" he cried, glowering fiercely as the group passed by him. "It's where you belong, rat!"

Millie gasped in angry disbelief. How could anyone speak to somebody they didn't know the first thing about that way?

She turned to Finn to see if he was listening to the negative comments, but Lilia was already taking care of it. The celebrity's stylist ran her hand up and down his arm, muttering instructions to him. "Keep your head held high, don't listen to them...keep your eyes forward...don't show them they're getting to you..."

Millie looked away quickly. Finn was okay. Though she hadn't seen his face, she could tell he had his horrid temper under control for the time being. Lilia worked magic in calming others down; Millie knew that firsthand.